Word Through the Bloodlines
by Golden-Geared-Wings
Summary: In modern-day Los Angeles, vampires live under a system known as "The Masquerade", which is a code that hides and protects the knowledge of their existence from humans by any means necessary. And newly turned Yuuichiro Amane finds out that he may be adding to the fire of a faction war by hiding his sire, a royal fugitive believed to be dead, Mikaela Shindo himself.
1. Built for Blame

**A/N: Hey guys! I've decided to upload one of my OnS fanfics from archive of our own onto here! If you haven't read it on there, all you need to know is that the plot was inspired by the game "Vampire the Masqerade: Bloodlines". I'm clashing the lore of both that and OnS, so you don't need to play the game to understand what's going on here. :)**

 **This story is a modern day AU and involves Vamp!Yuu so be prepared for that!**

 **Just in case, here's the archive of our own version: /users/Clockwork_Pixie/works**

 **Onto the story!**

* * *

Yuu didn't remember much of what happened leading up to his death. He only remembered what happened in the exact moments. For instance, he remembered hearing gunshots and suddenly lying in pain, bleeding on the cold concrete ground of a public parking garage.

And he definitely remembered the blonde kid dying on the ground next to him. The guy was...meeting with some shady people Yuu saw in the adjoining restaurant just minutes before. He didn't look like one of them. A shot rang out and he saw the blonde fall to the ground. Yuu was pretty sure he told someone to call the police before he saw them pull the shot blonde by his wrist and kick him while he was down, which was when Yuu stepped in.

But you don't go into a gunfight armed with a smartass mouth and righteousness.

His efforts were rewarded at the receiving end of a gun.

He didn't hear his attackers try to finish him or the blonde off after he was shot, so he assumed they made a break for it.

Leaving himself and the guy he failed to save, dying on a filthy parking lot.

Yuu was lying on his back, with the dim white lighting of the concrete ceiling staring back at him. With nothing left to think of except for the pain in his chest, he knew there was no possible way he was going to leave here alive. He found it funny, just a few hours ago, he remembered thinking that he really wouldn't mind dying. He could have driven off the nearest cliff into the freezing cold ocean water, and it really wouldn't have mattered. It wasn't like he had much to live for, not to mention that the world seemed like it was doing everything in its power to make him suffer. Even before he was bleeding out from gun wounds. He had just wanted to be in control of how he died, but he supposed there wasn't much difference in terms of results in the end.

However, he had very different thoughts as he turned his head to look at the blonde lying on his stomach with his eyes closed, barely breathing and bleeding from similar wounds.

 _I was only trying to save_ him, Yuu thought, _Was I just not fast enough? Was I just not good enough?_

The short, bated breaths from the other man gave him reassurance that he was still alive. He only hoped that he could hold on just a bit longer until help came, even if it was too late for Yuu.

He guessed that these were his last moments alive.

Yuu couldn't say he had many regrets. His life had hardly left him with anyone or anything he would be upset to leave behind. His best friend, more like a sister really, was the only one left. He had an envelope with the money addressed to Akane that should leave her in good shape. It was every cent he had owed her since she had helped pay for his college tuition; he had worked to make sure he paid her back in full and he ensured it would be delivered to her. Especially in the event of his death. He refused to be the burden of any more financial troubles.

For the most part, he was dying with a clear conscience.

However, the fact that he would never know the name of the stranger he died trying to save was a bit...disheartening.

Unfortunately, that didn't matter either. His feelings were never of any significance when it came to the final say in his life.

Yuu found that it was slowly getting harder for him to stay awake, and soon he wouldn't be able to resist the fall into the darkness surrounding him. He didn't know if he'd ever open his eyes again after he gave in. But he was so tired, he put those worries behind him.

Except for one...

Before he lost consciousness, he could have sworn he heard his companion mumble something to him.

It sounded a lot like, "...I'm sorry."

Yuu passed out before he could ask what that meant.

* * *

 _"...Hey…"_

...

 _"Hey...are you still there?"_

...That was a good question. Yuu himself couldn't even answer that even if he had the willpower to do so.

He hadn't opened his eyes, but he had a pretty good idea of where he was. He was floating in complete darkness, drifting with no sense of direction. He knew he was floating because even with his limited senses, he could tell there was nothing beneath him except for air. He felt as light as a feather, and yet his body felt like a giant weight suspended in midair. So he made no effort to move, and he had no desire to. Staying like this, he could almost completely forget about the pain he was in. He didn't need to think about anything anymore. He didn't need to feel anything anymore.

If this was the afterlife…if this was all there was after death, he could content himself to just floating in an ocean of darkness, letting the waves carry him through the void.

And everything would be fine.

 _"...Can you hear me?"_

A voice that wasn't his own had been piercing through the previously silent void, at first so quiet that Yuu didn't even know it was there. But now it so loud, it felt like someone was trying to violently shake him from a dream he didn't want to wake up from.

He was so tempted to ignore it. Couldn't he just go back to sleep?

 _"You don't have to speak, you don't even have to wake up...but I need to know if you're still alive in there."_

Yuu was mildly irritated when the voice persisted on, but something wasn't right. What did it mean, "if" he was still alive? Yuu was...he was still here, wasn't he…? He was still existing somewhere as far as he knew...

Wait…

The voice asked if he was still alive " _in there_ ". Typically, when someone asks a question like that, it meant...

He was still holding on.

Minutes ago, he had been convinced he was a goner. If he wasn't dead yet, did he still have a chance to _survive_ this?

Whatever the case was, he needed to know. But he wasn't sure how he would be able communicate his being alive back to the voice when he himself could hardly move, much less cry out.

No, he couldn't accept defeat so easily. If he was still alive, he just needed to reboot his senses back into use. The major feelings of paralysis were within the areas of his chest, abdomen, and neck. Standing up or moving his head was probably out of the question. He just needed to start small. A slight movement of his fingers should enough. With his eyes still closed, Yuu focused all of his attention on his dominant hand. He imagined his fingers moving back and forth and attempted to physically perform the action. His fingers felt stiff, but he could feel himself regaining movement in his hand.

Yuu curled his fingers and clenched his hand. He was putting all his cards on the table now.

…

 _"...Ah, there you are."_

Score.

 _"I don't know how much time I have left,"_ The previously concerned tone in the voice took on a more serious note as it spoke to him, _"So I'll be brief, I'll ask you the only question that matters at this moment. If I offered you a way to survive this, would you want it?"_

Yuu thought that was an odd way of asking if he wanted to live, which he figured was the gist of what the voice was asking of him. He didn't know what to make of it. Yuu couldn't even answer that question himself before he was shot. He knew he hadn't wanted to die like _that_ , but still…

He found it pretty ironic that fate had given him exactly what he wanted, and only now was he having second thoughts.

"...why…?" He managed to ask with what little strength he still had in him. Why would this person, or at least he assumed it was a person, behind this voice want to save him? Why did they even care?

There was a pause before he received an answer.

 _"Because you did the same thing for someone who didn't think he deserved that kindness…"_

That subtle implication made Yuu's ears perk up, and not much really registered in his mind after he made the connection. There was no one else they could have been referring to besides…He wanted to confirm, _Is he okay? He's alive, isn't he?!_

For the second time that night, Yuu was cut off before he could inquire anything.

" _I can tell you're worried,"_ The voice explained in a serene manner, " _And I can tell you're skeptical of what I offer. I understand perfectly well where your apprehension originates, but I can assure that you have nothing to fear. I promise I will answer your questions when I can, but right now I need you to trust me."_

On any other occasion, Yuu would have said that this person was already asking too much of him. Trust wasn't something he just gave out sparingly like copious amounts of Halloween candy. But even then, he had to stop and ask himself, Is the alternative _really_ any better?

He was trapped in an empty void, a fleeting borderline between living and dying, with no idea what awaited him after death. It terrified him the more he thought about it. If he refused help now, he knew silence and darkness would surround him a resounding finality until something else claimed his soul.

Which, even then, he feared could be never.

He'd be alone once again.

Yuu made his decision, especially if that was his only other option, he sure as hell wasn't going to stick around for something else to take pity on him. There really was no point of being picky when it came to the matter of how he was being saved. If this person was truly trying to help, he supposed he had no choice but to humor them right now. They said they would explain later, he just had to hold them to that.

As if the voice had verbally received its answer, it proceeded to the only other loose end...

" _I want to show you something."_

Immediately after it was said, everything suddenly shifted.

Yuu felt something cover his mouth, effectively cutting off his oxygen supply and replacing it with a warm liquid that burned as it trickled down his throat. A surge of panic went through him, he was struggling to breathe and couldn't even fight back. He couldn't move even though he was willing his body to do something, anything other than just lie back and _take_ it…! It felt like someone was hovering over him, restraining his already numb limbs from trying to resist…

He wanted to scream, but whatever force was forcing liquid down his throat was ensuring he remained complicit. It got more difficult for him to breathe and once that liquid hit his bloodstream...he started to feel the pain arise.

Only this time, it was _so_ much worse. It shot through his nerves like electricity and magnified from there. The burning sensation in his throat spread to the rest of his body like someone had struck a match and lit him on fire.

Yuu opened his eyes and swore that he caught a glimpse of gold before a white brightness clouded his vision with the intensity of the sun.

* * *

"Good evening."

A deep, unfamiliar voice pierced through his consciousness.

Yuu was beginning to feel the effects of his induced exhaustion leave him as his vision cleared somewhat. It was dark, so it took him several moments for his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting.

"My fellow Kindred. My apologies for disrupting any business or interfering with prior engagements you may have had this evening. It's unfortunate that the affair that gathers us together tonight is a troubling one."

From what Yuu could tell, he was kneeling on a hardwood floor and someone was gripping his shoulders firmly keeping him in place. His movement was limited, but when he looked around, he saw that there were actually people sitting in velvet foldout seats with their eyes trained in his general direction. Quite a bit of people, actually. Some were spread out in the seats in front of him, and a few were in -he leaned slightly for as close of a look as he could get- balcony seating. Given the spacious room and the number of people, he could only assume that he was in an auditorium of some sort, so that meant he was...

He was sitting on a fucking stage.

He knew for a fact that this wasn't where he was before...or where he was supposed to be. Didn't he get _shot_ in a parking garage? Why wasn't he taken to a hospital or a police station, as opposed to a goddamned theater?

Though as the thought entered his head, Yuu stopped in his tracks. He was certain he could answer the question of whether he got shot, the answer being an undeniable "yes". However, he was currently kneeling on a stage...if he was sitting up, shouldn't he be in _a lot_ more pain right now?

He would've thought the answer to that would be a "yes" as well, but he felt nothing. No pain in or around the areas where he was positive that a bullet had penetrated through skin, a fact which concerned him. If no one took him to the hospital, how the _hell_ was he feeling fine? Yuu would have checked over where he got shot for himself if he wasn't being restrained by the goon behind him. Another fact that concerned him.

"We are here because the laws that bind our society -the laws that are the fabric of our existence- have been broken."

The guy who had been talking this whole time, he realized, had been talking to the crowd of people who had their eyes on the stage. His back was toward Yuu, so he couldn't get a good look at his face. He noted, however, that he wore a black pea coat over his dark, ironed out suit that gave him that _Nouveau-riche_ , aristocratic air about him as he sauntered across the stage, calmly addressing his audience.

 _Okay_ , Yuu thought, _What the actual fuck happened between now and the whole shoot-out earlier?! Is big guy over here going to explain why they dragged me here or-?!_ In a brief moment where he glanced over to his right to survey more of his surroundings, his eyes widened in alarm.

There was another person on the stage with him, forced to their knees with their arms restrained much like him. Yuu couldn't quite make him out because of his spotty vision and the crappy lighting...But it looked like a guy, Yuu could see the sharp angles of his face and extremely slight muscles through his loose, white long-sleeved shirt. He looked around his height, maybe an inch or two taller, and had light hair with cerulean eyes. He was wearing dark, loose fitting clothing as well as boots. Although unlike Yuu, they had placed a gag over his mouth.

It seemed like their captors truly had a taste for the theatrics, Yuu thought in disgust. _Seriously, is this a fucking joke to them?! What do they think they're going to do anyway?_

"As Prince," The man in front of them was still speaking to the crowd, "I am within my rights to grant or deny the Kindred of this city the privilege of siring. Many of you have come to me seeking permission, and I have endorsed some of these requests." He turned and stepped over to the left of the stage, which was then Yuu noted that he had dark hair and eyebrows that reminded him of lightning bolts. "However, the accused that sits before you tonight was not refused permission…Indeed, my permission was never sought at _all_. They were caught shortly after the Embrace of this childe." He gestured to Yuu, for whom this only confused and agitated further.

And he didn't like the way the boy with the gag flinched at the corner of his vision, speechlessly staring at the speaker with what looked like barely controlled fear.

 _Putting that child comment aside, this guy is obviously out of his damn mind. First of all, "Prince"?! Second, what does he mean this guy "embraced" me? What, was I initiated into his super secret boy band without supreme leader Thunderbrows' say so? This is ridiculous._

 _Besides, the guy next to me looks more...puzzled from this than I am, like he's just finding out about all this. If big guy over there is saying he did something to me, how much truth is really behind his words? I know for a fact I've never seen the guy in my life and from the looks of things, I doubt he's seen me around either. Is there really any reason for him to be in trouble?_

"It pains me to announce the sentence," Yuu's head snapped up at that, "As...up to tonight, I considered the accused a loyal and upstanding member of our organization. But as some of you may know, the penalty for this transgression...is death."

The words were delivered like a punch in his gut, swift and with such finality to them that it knocked the air out of him.

 _Death?_

Yuu was frozen in panic, mouth hung agape, trying to wrap his mind around what was just said. The upbringing of the case made was so vague and flimsy that he couldn't possibly understand how it warranted a death sentence. Maybe in this case logic didn't matter and word alone was enough to execute a man...he couldn't believe it. He didn't _want_ to believe it. Was this really happening?

 _For the love of God...please, tell me I'm just on a really fucked up episode of "Punk'd" and Thunderbrows is gonna rip off a mask any minute now to reveal Ashton Kutcher ready to punch me in the dick...Anything but this bullshit…!_

This nightmare, unfortunately, was far from over.

"Know that I am no more a judicator than I am a servant to the law that governs us all," The speaker in the peacoat sauntered over until he stood directly between Yuu and the boy who was gagged, body facing the latter as he continued, "Let tonight's proceedings serve as a reminder to our community that we must adhere to the code that binds our society, lest we endanger _all_ of our blood."

 _No..._

He then placed his big hand on the other boy's shoulder, tightly engulfing it with his palm, and kneeled slightly.

"Forgive me," He lowered his voice, as if only the boy in his grasp was meant to hear, before standing up straighter and beckoning the blonde haired woman restraining his captive to get out of the way.

"Let the penalty commence."

 _No...no...please, no..._

The only one left within proximity to the kneeling boy was a tall, broad shouldered beast of a...Yuu was really hesitant to call that anything remotely _human_. He was taller than the speaker, who was a pretty tall man himself, who barely came up to his chest at most. He was wearing a buttoned-up leather trench coat and a top hat, which Yuu might have jabbed at if that monstrous existence didn't completely _terrify_ him with what it would do next.

He didn't wait long. In fact he had only seconds to register the event.

The beastly thing pulled out a large sword from its hip, the blade was single edged and wider than Yuu's hand, and poised it above the light haired kid's neck, locking its target. The sword was lifted, and just like a guillotine, struck down in one fell swoop, severing the head from the body. Both quickly met the ground and stained the wood of the stage with blood.

And as if to add insult to his own sanity and horror, he watched the body... _cremate_ itself, disappearing in a dissemination of ash and smoke that was there and gone in an instant, leaving only the smell of burning skin in its wake.

The color had completely drained from Yuu's face.

"Which leads to the fate of the ill-begotten progeny," The speaker gestured to Yuu, it seemed he was far from finished... _This can't be happening...this can't be fucking happening right now…_

"Without a sire, most Children are doomed to walk the earth never knowing their place, their responsibility, and most importantly, the _laws_ they must obey."

Yuu's breath hitched in his throat. _...Here it comes..._

"Therefore, I have decided that-"

"This is _bullshit_!"

Yuu's head shot up in surprise, a familiar shred of hope latched on for _one split second_...

As the words were shouted out, the culprit behind them pushed himself out of his seat, violet eyes aflame. He got in two steps toward the stage before a red haired girl grabbed his shoulder and a white haired guy stood in front of him, preventing him from going any further. He looked _pissed_ , like he would have leapt on the stage to beat the shit out of the announcer guy if he hadn't been stopped.

The small disruption seemed to cause a stir within the other patrons and onlookers, who were perfectly taciturn at the public execution. Whispered words of confusion and speculation traveled through the air, some actually got up from their seats, not wanting to miss out on witnessing or joining in on the action. A few looked like they only wanted an excuse for a plausible fight to break out and with every passing second, it appeared more likely that _that_ would be the case.

Yuu could only see the side of the announcer's face, whose jaw was clenched in controlled irritation at being interrupted and quickly losing control of his spectators' interest. His silence put Yuu on edge, but the irritation smoothed over to the calm facade he wore earlier before he spoke again, hushing the crowd.

"If Mister Ichinose would let me finish...I have decided to let this Kindred live."

 _I'm guessing that means me_ , Yuu figured, sighing in relief at the thought of being able to leave soon. However, the promise of being spared did nothing to undo the knots in his stomach.

 _There's going to be some sort of catch to this, isn't there?_

"They shall be instructed in the ways of our kind and be granted the same rights," The announcer continued still, "Let no one say that I am unsympathetic to the plights and causes of this community."

The guy who shouted earlier, Ichinose, narrowed his eyes but seemed satisfied for the time being before turning to leave. The two who were sitting next to him earlier followed as more people gradually got up from their seats ready to leave.

"I thank you all for attending these proceedings, and I hope their significance is not lost. Good evening."

* * *

 **I love comments and feedback, so please tell me what you thought so far!**


	2. Heavy Prey

**A/N: Yeah, so I decided to post the second chapter a bit earlier than planned. At least in order to make up for the next couple week hiatus the story will go through while I'm finishing up chapter 3. xD**

* * *

Within minutes, the velvet auditorium seats that were filled for entertained spectators were all vacant.

The few that remained on the stage were dismissed by the self-proclaimed "Prince" until only he and the platinum blonde, three-ponytailed haired woman from earlier, who casually placed herself by his side, were the ones who remained with Yuu, who hadn't moved from his spot on the floor.

He didn't know when the woman cut off his restraints, he still felt the rope burn tightly against his wrists not unlike the burning he felt in his chest...His gaze remained on one spot of the polished wooden stage flooring and hadn't deterred since before everyone else cleared out...He didn't want to acknowledge what had happened, to look over to find blood splatter he knew was _just_ over to his right.

"I understand you've had quite the night, fledgling," That deep, booming voice jolted Yuu back to reality like an electric shock. He slowly, carefully lifted his gaze to meet the scrutinizing eyes of the speaker, the one he had earlier dubbed as "Thunderbrows".

"It must be a mystery to you as to who I am and why you're here," He said with mock empathy Yuu knew didn't exist. "Before you leave, you will have answers to both questions. Rest assured, knowing that everything that I'm about to tell you is nothing short of the absolute truth. Do you understand?"

Yuu didn't know if he was going to get away with not giving a verbal confirmation, so he nodded before saying, "...Y-yes."

"Good man. You may stand up."

The way it was said told Yuu that it was not a sincere suggestion.

He felt so utterly powerless. Those dark eyes were dangerously fixated on his form similar to a perched hawk staring down at a defenseless rodent, who had the misfortune of being within its line of sight.

It took all of his willpower not to shrink under that intimidating, predatory gaze.

Yuu swallowed nervously as he tried to will his body to move. He realized if there was any possibility of him leaving mostly unscathed that night, he needed to go about this as delicately as he possibly could. And the first step to that was standing up.

He slowly, carefully pushed himself from the floor so that he was standing directly in front of the other man. In that instant, he was briefly aware that even as he was standing straight, Thunderbrows had five inches over him easy.

Yuu considered himself a man of action, he always had been. He wasn't the type to just sit back and do nothing, especially now, where he knew that _nothing_ of what just occurred was right in any way, shape, or form. And he sure as _hell_ had no intentions of sticking around to find out what they had planned for himself. If he could fight his way out of something, he'd do it in a heartbeat. In this case, he supposed he'd simply have to rely on quicker reflexes to try and get past-

" _...No...can't do that...not now…"_

 _What the-?_ Yuu briefly looked around him, wondering if there was someone else still in theatre trying to get his attention. He knew for a fact that it definitely did not come from the man nor woman in front of him.

 _There doesn't seem to be anyone else in here besides me, Thunderbrows, and Legally Blonde,_ He concluded _, Am I just imagining it..? I could have sworn that I recognized that exact voice- wait a minute, how the hell does it know what I'm_ thinking _?!_

"Does there seem to be a problem?" The black cladded man before him questioned, "You don't appear particularly focused at the moment." _That fucking prick-!_

" _...Don't…fight…let you leave faster…if you…listen now…"_

The words were strained and Yuu could barely hear them, but he understood the gist of what the voice was trying to communicate: if he tried to get out of this through force, he would die. Looking at his captors directly, and despite every fiber in his being trying to convince him otherwise, he begrudgingly decided to listen to it. There were undeniable factors currently against his favor that would guarantee his defeat should he try to fight them head on, besides the fact that it was basically one against two. Not to mention he had a feeling that the woman wouldn't stand by if he rushed at her companion.

Defenseless and exposed as he was, he didn't really have much of a choice here. He could hate it, detest it all he liked, but using his fists instead of his brain wouldn't do him any favors in this situation.

Satisfied with Yuu's compliance, the man spoke again, "Tell me, Yuichiro Amane. What do you know about the existence of vampires?"

Yuu's eyes widened, the fact that this man knew his name was more unsettling to him than what it was followed up with, "Wait, what? How did you know my-?"

"That is irrelevant at the moment. Do not speak except to answer, fledgling." That word in particular was slowly becoming more irritating to him.

 _I can't believe what I'm actually fucking hearing right now!_

"You can't be serious…" He asked in sheer disbelief, having been forced to mentally return to the actual inquiry he was just presented with, "You're not actually, honest-to-god, asking me about _vampires_ , right?" He didn't care if it was a joke or not, he had no idea what was going on and it scared him. But what scared him even more was that the answers he received would only add further insult to his own sanity.

The somber, humorless expression on the man's face didn't falter in the slightest, for the most part answering Yuu's question, "Vampires are nothing more than a myth created by centuries of early medieval superstition. That's your view?"

"That _isn't_ your view?" Yuu countered apprehensively.

"I see. Tell me then, how many humans do you know that disintegrated instantaneously when they perished?"

The words instantly brought him back to that moment, to the fear that left him paralyzed on the spot, to the sword that was brought down on the other kid's neck like a gavel delivering his judgement, spilling his blood…He had to fight off the gagging urge to vomit from the memory.

"You think that guy was a vampire," He concluded, not even believing the words that came out of his own mouth. That boy was _dead_. Was this guy seriously implying what Yuu thought he was implying? _Guess they're not giving up this act anytime soon_ , Yuu thought, bitterly, _Fine, I'll bite._

"Wait a minute," He continued, after reevaluating what Thunderbrows was implying, "Is that why you _killed_ him?"

"We don't kill based on mere assumption, I can assure you. That boy was killed for one reason only. He purposely, knowingly went against the law of siring humans, against making a human into a vampire. And he chose you."

Yuu honestly didn't know whether to start laughing or crying then because no matter how this was being explained to him, no matter how he sliced it, it made progressively less sense and he was positive these people were certifiably _insane_.

"Would you just-!" He wasn't even sure if he could form a question that would get a sensible response and it was frustrating, "I- just, what are you even talking about?! Because I swear to god, if you keep going on with this vampire crap, I-" He stopped himself from finishing that thought, because what could he even do at that moment besides scream?

"Denial is always the first step to acceptance," Thunderbrows calmly responded, not even remotely phased by Yuu's little freak out, "Though I'm afraid there is no other way around this tornado you've been pulled into. I understand you were found gunned down earlier this evening, correct?" Yuu's eyes widened, and he continued, " I see that got your attention. While your embrace was illegal, it did save your life. All you have to do is lift up your shirt and see the result for yourself."

He really did hate this feeling, that everyone else clearly and so obviously knew more than they were telling him. This man knew his name and knew about the shooting, and it concerned Yuu for countless reasons.

But it did remind Yuu of that earlier conundrum, how unnatural it was that he was in no pain whatsoever from gun wounds he was sure that he had.

So he humored him by looking down and unzipping his jacket. There was still blood on his shirt, still wet from the way it felt, so he knew not alot of time passed between now and then.

He swallowed once, the sight of his own blood was an unsettling one, but not nearly as unsettling as this entire night had been. And when he gripped the hem of his shirt, he realized that it wasn't over yet.

Not by a longshot.

He quickly pulled up his shirt, fully expecting to see _something_. Some kind of proof of what had happened to him, of what started this entire debacle in the first place.

However, nothing reminiscent of a bullet wound even so much as scarred his clear, toned stomach.

If it hadn't been for a the blood on his clothes, he would have thought he imagined the entire scene: the blonde who was shot first, his rushing to save him, him getting hurt in the process, the voice in his head saying it would save him…

But he didn't imagine it. He wasn't imagining _this_.

He could hardly breathe, _This really isn't a joke is it?_

"You were found three hours ago," Thunderbrows explained, bringing Yuu out of his speechless stupor, "Along with the man who had healed you by giving his blood and siring you in the process." He paused to let that sink in, " I am Kureto Hiragi," He started, "The representative Prince of the Camarilla, the diligent law enforcers behind the Masquerade, our sacred code protecting the Kindred who live under it. The 'Kindred' therein all being vampires."

The mention of the boy they've been calling his "sire" all night made his eyes involuntarily flicker over to the spot he was kneeling at just minutes ago, the one spot he was trying to avoid the sight of.

He let out a shaky exhale when he was met with the vision of blood for the umpteenth time that night. It reminded him of just how real, how cruel this fate truly was.

But...

 _That guy…he saved my life, even though he knew he'd get in trouble for it?_

That panicked look he saw in his eyes…something about that moment seemed wrong… _everything_ about this was wrong, but that moment in particular was bugging him.

"Your sire-" Kureto continued, almost as if he read his thoughts, "Tragic, my apologies, but you see there is a strict code of conduct we must... _must_ adhere to if we wish to survive." He sauntered past Yuu, walking towards the back of the stage.

Yuu quickly got the message and followed behind before Legally Blonde could grab for his arm and drag him over. He could hear the soft clacking of her heels trail after him, which made him slightly uncomfortable when he imagined her dark red eyes closely watching for any missteps on his end.

"When someone, _anyone_ , breaks these laws, they undermine the well-worn fabric of our centuries old society."

They entered though a large hallway over to the left side, dimly lit, where small prop boxes and large crates adjoined the wall. Yuu had to step over sideways to avoid them.

"Understand my predicament, allowing you to live makes me directly responsible for your subsequent behavior." _My hero,_ Yuu thought sarcastically, "So...what I'm offering is not generosity, but the opportunity to transcend the fate woven by your sire."

They were nearing the end of the hallway, where the red words of the "EXIT" sign hung above the door and gave Yuu the breath back to his body. He was almost tempted to push the male in front out of his way and run for it himself. But he kept his composure and let them escort him through the last steps towards his freedom to _leave_.

"This is your trial," Kureto gestured to the door, and suddenly Yuu's heart stopped. _Oh my god, what now?_ "You will be brought to Santa Monica, there you will meet an agent by the name of Shinoa. She will provide you with the details of your labor."

 _Labor?_ Yuu inwardly cringed, _He seriously isn't_ done _with me yet?_

"I've shown you great clemency. Prove it was more than a wasted gesture, fledgling. Don't come back...until you do. Good evening."

* * *

Yuu couldn't get out of there fast enough. Exhausted and in no mood to argue, he grabbed the handle of the door and pushed it open.

The chilled night air greeted him upon his way out, as well as the overhead light above the door that he had to shield his eyes from, having been in that dark theatre for so long.

He had to put some distance between himself and the door. That feeling of shock he felt, along with his apparently oblivious version of the night's events, made him feel so cheated and angry that he wanted to throw up.

A guy was just _decapitated_ , after a vague two minute round of the pronoun game, and nobody gave a damn. The guy who called for his _execution_ , supreme dictator Thunderbrows, told him that he was supposed to be a _vampire_ now…! And from the way it sounded, he was now expecting Yuu to be an errand boy no questions asked.

The unfairness of it all made him sick, and now he has more than twenty new questions with no answers whatsoever.

 _There's no way I'm dealing with this shit right now_ , He thought, taking a few steps along the side of the building. There was a fence directly in front of him, so the long way behind him looked like the way to go.

He was definitely not going to stick around, if he tried to apply any more logic towards tonight, he'd just drive himself insane thinking about it. _First priority for this guy is going home, shower, then bed. The fucker is_ delusional _if he thinks I'm just gonna-!_

"That was quite the scene you made in there," A childish voice called out to him, swiftly halting his train of thought, causing him to look over in that direction.

Along the brick outline of the theater, a kid was leaning against the wall throwing an amused gaze in his direction. He had long, unruly, indigo colored hair which came down to his lower thigh and was mostly kept out of his face with a thin, gold wired headband. He was also wearing an army green utility vest with a white tank top underneath, black cargo capris, and converse sneakers to match.

 _How the hell did I miss him?_ Yuu pondered, _He was like_ right _next to me, how did I not see him?_

"I said that was quite the scene you made in there," The kid repeated, "For a split second, I thought they were going to do away with you. Yet here you are, they just dropped you out like a wounded gazelle, huh?"

 _He was watching with the audience_ , His mind supplied, _So they were still gonna do nothing even if they killed me…?_

"Yeah, some change of heart," Yuu responded, feeling particularly spiteful, "You can't _honestly_ look me in the face and justify any of what went of in there, right?"

"Of course not," The grin on the boy's face slipped, his answer immediate, "You have every right to be pissed off about this, but you gotta understand, the rules we got are strict as hell for a reason. There isn't exactly much you _can_ do about this except _maybe_ try to move on." His gaze briefly lingered on Yuu until he shut his eyes, letting out a soft exhale before taking a step closer to him. He was a tiny thing, the boy barely came up to his chest and even his clothes looked a little big on his small frame.

Despite that, he still succeeded in giving him a sense of uneasiness.

"Alright, look," He continued, running a hand through his hair, "I get that this is probably a lot to take in-" _Putting it mildly_ , "so, whaddya say about letting me show you the ropes?"

 _You've got to be shitting me, there's_ more _?_

"Who the hell are you anyway?" Yuu asked, feeling a bit creeped out by the younger looking male's sudden proposal.

"Asuramaru," He replied, "But you can call me Asura if you want, I don't really care. What's important right now is that I'm offering you help. If you get back from Santa Monica with your head still attached to your neck, we'll trade life stories, 'kay? 'Till then, I've got…" He placed a almond-sized space in between his thumb and index finger, "- _this_ much time. You in or out?" He crossed his arms, awaiting a response.

Yuu shut his eyes, inhaling deeply as he attempted to gather his thoughts together before he completely snapped at this guy.

He didn't think there was a way he could comprehend the entirety of what he'd just been through without losing his damn mind in the process. But even so, he also knew there was a _monumental_ list of things that he couldn't afford to deny.

He couldn't deny the abnormality in which that guy was killed...with a beheading and his body disappearing like dust in the wind…

He couldn't deny that he was shot and nearly killed, nor the bullet wounds that should have killed him healing in a matter of hours.

And most of all, he couldn't deny the possibility that he wasn't entirely _human_ anymore.

Of course he'd rather go home and pretend none of this had ever happened. But he knew he would only be lying to himself if he thought it was that easy. There was someone _actually_ in front of him willing to explain things. If there was any slim chance that he was actually a -dare he say it- _vampire_ , then he figured that finding out exactly what he was capable of should probably be at the top of his priority list.

So resigning himself to a likely more complicated explanation, he said, "Lay it on me. I'm tired of being out of the damn loop."

"Right on," Asura replied, "There's a limited amount of things I can explain to you though, but I promise you'll get into the swing of things pretty fast. At the very least, I'll fill you in on the bare bones stuff..." His eyes narrowed in concern, "Uh...hey, are you alright? You look kinda wobbly there."

Yuu had to bite back a sarcastic comment about his own mental health being at stake, before realizing that he actually _wasn't_ doing too physically great. That nauseous feeling from earlier had magnified since he walked out the theatre door, so much that he felt like he was going to pass out. Although he simply chalked it up to the horror show he had witnessed inside.

The sooner he got this over with and behind him, the better.

"I'm fine," Yuu tried to reassure him, "I think I'm just tired right now, that's-"

"Are you?" Asura swiftly cut him off, "Because right now, I'm thinking that's a load of shit." _Then why fucking ask me if I'm alright then?!_ "Have you even had a _drink_ yet?"

Yuu had a sinking feeling that he knew exactly what the other boy was implying, but asked anyway, "Define 'drink'."

Apparently that answer was amusing because Asura snorted and his hand flew to try and cover his " _mustn't laugh_ " snickers, "Oh, holy crap…! Mika's popping his first cherry here? That is _priceless_."

"Mika?"

* * *

The address he had earlier received led to an apartment complex behind a pawn shop. The door had been directly on the side of the building in an alleyway, leading to a stairway to the rooms. The hall wasn't very wide, it was a bit kind saying it was enough room for one person. There were rips in the dull green wallpaper leading up to Yuuichiro's room, they didn't even look applied correctly.

The boy must not have had a lot of money then, for a second he thought he was in the wrong place.

He had seen the scratched out number plate on the door where a clear "8" used to reside, so he stumbled over to the door, clutching his side. He had to pick the lock though, he thought it would have been pushing his luck to risk Yuuichiro waking up to find his keys missing.

It was embarrassingly easy to open the lock, but he wasted no time getting in and shutting the door behind him.

He had noticed the bed in what he guessed would pass as the living room, considering the television set placed directly in front of it and the computer desk placed at the farther end of the room. The kitchen was directly next to it, clearly no room for a dining set though. There was another door in the right corner of the room, but the only place he could figure would fit in a place this small was the bathroom.

He had to place his hand against the mattress to catch his breath before he made his way into the bathroom.

The bathroom was in as just as an appalling state if not worse than its adjoining room. The dim lighting over the mirror may have been aesthetically pleasing if all three of them worked. The bulb in the middle was broken and its right partner simply gave out, leaving only the left to light the room. The floor and walls were tiled, but the tiles were faded in color, others were missing from the walls, and the bottom crevices were dirty.

He had a limited amount of time before someone came to put bloodbags in Yuuichiro's fridge, or leave notes of future orders on his desk. He didn't see himself being able to leave anytime soon, it was taking almost all of his energy to stand. And he couldn't do much for his gaping wounds until he had blood in his system.

He had to hide. He needed something, _anything_ to either dull the pain or cover them up, because his blood was going to be the first thing any lackey would sense upon entering.

Placing his hand on the edge of the sink for support, he opened the cabinet, nearly ripping the mirror from its hinges, and started looking over bottles, painkillers, and small boxes. He groaned when he found nothing that was going to have an immediate effect. Not even a roll of gauze.

He reached for a small bottle and turned it over, only to see that it was just half used brand cologne. While it was less than ideal for healing, it would at least mask the smell of his blood, he reasoned. He grabbed it, and released the edge of the sink. His legs gave out from under him, falling to the floor with a resounding thud.

He inhaled sharply as he crawled over to the shower space, only a quick turn to his left. He opened the the light blue shower curtain, maneuvering his way in. He was lying down on the shower floor, holding his bleeding side with one hand and a bottle of cologne with the other.

He quickly unscrewed the top of the cologne bottle, letting it fall to the ground as he poured what remained in the container on his bloody side. The liquid created a slight burning sensation on contact with his gashed skin, but it was nothing too terrible. He always had a high tolerance with physical pain.

He could _not_ risk the possibility of being found again. It wasn't just his own life on the line anymore. If he was found here, there's no doubt that they would suspect Yuuichiro of conspiring with him and have him killed as well. There is absolutely no chance that they would overlook him a second time.

The silence of the room hit him for the first time since he entered it, and he let a soft, bitter laugh escape his lips. He was hiding in someone else's _bathroom_ , like a sewer rat with bleeding wounds and to top it all off, he had sired a Childe for the first time in his life that ultimately served as a distraction so he could get away.

Closing the shower curtains, he ran a hand through his blonde hair. He could almost _hear_ Krul chastising him, voice laced with disappointment…

 _Oh Mikaela, how could you let yourself_ slip _like this?_

* * *

 **A/N: I was planning on having Mika and Yuu meet in this chapter, but I decided to hold that off until the next one, along with the beginning of Asuramaru's "How to Vampire For Dummies".**

 **One thing's for sure though, Mika has a _ton_ of explaining to do.**


	3. Broken Generation

"Oh, holy crap…! Mika's popping his first cherry here? That is priceless."

"Mika?"

Yuichiro narrowed his eyes in questioning gaze at Asuramaru, who casually dropped the name as if he should know who that was.

But the strangest thing was that he kinda did. He _knew_ that name. Somehow, there was a strange sense of familiarity that came with it, though it was a small one. It clawed at his cerebellum, like he had heard that name somewhere before. But there was no one he could think of who shared that name, no one he ever met at least.

"Just an old friend," Asura waved a hand in a dismissive gesture, "If we're being honest, I think he'd be better at teaching you this stuff instead of me." He shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe you can persuade him to explain some things to you later."

Asura's relaxed, unconcerned gaze and offhanded explanation replacing a clearer answer bugged him. This kid knew more than he was letting on, that much was obvious to Yuu. He considered pushing for more information, but he decided against it. There had to be hundreds of people who were named "Mika", right? If he heard it prior to tonight, it could easily have been thrown out in a passerby conversation.

Still, he could not shake the rising dread that he had forgotten something important. And he didn't like it.

"In the meantime, I'll be quick here, so listen up. You're a bloodsucker now, so that means whatever leftovers you've been saving in your fridge are all basically useless. Blood is your new and only sustenance from now on, your new champagne, your new drug addiction. Your walking, breathing carcass will _always_ be running on someone else's blood."

 _Yep_ , Yuu thought, _That's pretty much the answer I expected and didn't want to hear._

"Does that mean my brownies are going to waste?" It was probably a stupid question, but it was the only thing he could come up with in response to… _that_.

Asura gave a light chuckle, "Don't fret, I _guarantee_ you won't be missing them too much." He placed his hands on his hips with a shrug of his shoulders, "Frankly, I'm not really sure you'll be able to make it home without getting some blood in your system right now. So…here ya go."

Right when he said that, he pulled something out of his jacket pocket and threw it in Yuu's direction. His hand shot out, catching the flying object at the last second. It felt very much like a plastic container, cold to the touch as if it had been in a freezer. He turned it over in his hand to inspect the label when Asura spoke.

"It's a bloodbag," He clarified in a casual manner, "Trust me, you need it."

Yuichiro blanched, _Did you have to throw it like it was a damn keychain?!_

Noticing Yuu's horrified expression, another careless shrug was Asura's reply, "If you'd rather drink from a human, that's fine, but I don't think you have the self-control to stop yourself from drinking them dry. I'd show you how, but…" The open ended implication forced Yuu to fill in the blanks with his earlier reason for not sticking around.

"You're busy," His sarcastic tone had come back with a vengeance, it seemed, "Got it."

Yuu returned his attention to the small package in his hand, his fingers fumbling with the tape for the tube connected to the bag. He guessed he'd be drinking from it after all, though he didn't know if he'd be able to stomach it. He'd seen quite a bit of blood tonight, he didn't exactly imagine how actually drinking it like the vampire he allegedly became would be any more desirable.

But if he was going to do it eventually, he figured he might as well take a free hand-out while it was given to him.

Once he tore off the tape, he took the tube between his fingers and put it near his mouth. It was weird, and rather awkward having to do it in front of someone, but it was too late to refuse it now.

He started small, testing the waters when he took the broken tube on the bag between his lips and sipped lightly.

The result was unbelievable.

It was _euphoric_. The dread that he initially felt, the fear that he could savagely attack someone's neck with his teeth like a rabid animal without a shred of remorse…it was almost immediately drowned out by the fact that every swallow felt like having the first taste of water after being stuck in a dry sahara for so long.

Small sips gradually turned into long, ravenous gulps without a second thought, not realizing how thirsty he had been after all. A sense of newfound alertness washed over him, steadily rejuvenating his senses and making him feel significantly better than when he had left the theater. He finished the whole thing in under a minute, squeezing it for its remaining drops like it was the last drink he'd ever have, before letting the bag slip through his fingers. He breathed in the night air, savoring the metallic, sweet taste on his tongue. Now he was beginning to understand how something like this could become addicting. And he only wanted _more_.

"Ah, you're feeling it now, aren't you?" He caught Asuramaru's smirk at the corner of his eye, voice lowered in daunting encouragement, "I can see it in your eyes, you're a born-again predator. Feeling better than any high you could ever experience as a human? That's it, kid. That's what it's all about…"

Yuu wiped the remnants of blood from his lips with the back of his hand, deep green eyes lingering hungrily on the bag he had dropped. "I don't know how I feel about it but...it _does_ feel good." He admitted, voice sounding wistful. Asura was right, it was a pleasant feeling of strength and ecstasy that he couldn't even begin to describe. He had damned near _inhaled_ the thing for it. He desperately consumed someone else's vital fluids like a Capri-Sun, and his feelings of empathy weren't even a forethought in his mind once he had a taste of it.

Yuu's gaze flickered back towards Asuramaru, who had an understanding, _knowing_ look on his face.

"Fair enough," He left it at that, deciding to move the topic along, to Yuu's gratitude, "So now you've got the blood, you feeling pretty kickass about now, right? It only gets better from here. Kindred...well, our secret code word for 'vampire'...we have things in common that set us on a higher scale than humans. Standard things, really: sharper senses, a body that can take a beating, and a significantly longer lifespan."

Yuu blinked at that, "So you're telling me I get to live forever?" In every vampire book or movie he'd ever heard of, it was always common that they always had some form of immortality. It was completely unnatural as it was, someone who could appear so human surviving so many years off making someone else their personal smoothie.

And now he himself had to do the same thing if he wanted to keep living. It was a worrying thought, especially with how fast he had tossed morality out the window with a blood bag alone.

But a slightly more _guiltier_ part of him, the devil on his shoulder, was entertaining this idea that greedily devouring blood from the warm skin of a victim was a _much_ more attractive substitute than the cold bag handed to him.

"If you play your cards right, sure," Asura replied, "You're still not indestructible, but what the textbooks told you aren't reliable sources. Garlic is worthless, a cross won't stop you from shoving it up their ass, and running water is good enough for an evening swim."

"What about everything else?"

"A wooden stake is only problematic if it lands in the heart, then it just paralyses you. Everything else is pretty much common sense." Asura provided examples, counting them on his slender fingers, "Anything above a standard handgun is bad news always, so don't get your head obliterated by a shotgun. Don't get your heart carved out, you'll be dead within minutes. You're not immune to getting lit on fire, and for _God's_ sake, don't go sunbathing either." His hand returned to his hip, "If you're out in the sunlight without a sun guard, then it's lights out. Uh, no pun intended." Yuu inwardly groaned at his attempt for a joke.

"And before you ask me for one," Before Yuu could press him on the subject, Asura said, "...newly turned fledglings can't get their own sun guard until they're half a year old. It's one of the rules, I'm afraid. To monitor them easier, make sure they won't do anything stupid if they're allowed to walk around during daytime."

 _So I'll be stuck to the shadows for a while, huh?_ He thought, _Whose dumb idea was that anyway?_

"Like what?" He asked aloud, curious to what constituted such a wait.

"And _that_ , my friend, is where the Masquerade comes in," Asura disclosed, grabbing Yuu's attention. It wasn't the first time it's been said to him that night, Thunderbrows had used a similar analogy if he recalled correctly.

"You're going to be hearing that word used _a lot_ and what it means is simple. You've turned into a big, bad bloodsucker now? Fantastic! Keep it to yourself. It makes it tougher on all of us when the newbies go roar and beat their chest to anyone who gives them a dirty look." He jerked his thumb to the brick wall lining the theater, "And it's why you didn't know any of _this_ when you woke up this morning. We live in the age of cell phone cameras and screw-ups aren't at all tolerated or taken kindly. As long as you keep the secret club secrets, you'll be fine. Everything clear so far?"

 _That's it? The Masquerade is basically a supernatural version of 'Fight Club'?_

"Yeah, got it," Yuuichiro nodded, at the very least it made sense enough for him to understand what he had gotten into and why he was only recently learning about it. Though he still had questions on _how_ or even _why_ he had gotten into it, he'd just have to make sure he'd be getting those answers before the end of the night. That was all.

"Good. Now I have something you need to-"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. There was a loud, ear-splitting screech enacted not too far from the alleyway effectively interrupting Asura's monologue, causing Yuu to turn his head in the direction of the sound. There was a crashing noise that followed, reverberating and echoing through the area like a thunder clap.

Yuu visibly flinched, instantly knowing that was likely a car wreck that had just occurred.

He turned back to Asuramaru, whose eyes had darted to the wall behind him and the metal fence a couple feet from where they stood, the sound coming from the direction of the latter. His eyebrows were furrowed in anger, completely serious.

"The _fuck_ is this?"

Yuu said nothing. He had no real answer to that question besides wholehearted agreement, and he had no desire to go check out what made that sound for himself.

And as if to strengthen his resolve, the ever so familiar sound of gunshots rang out at the same moment Asuramaru hissed out, fangs now fully visible to Yuu, "Shit, looks like our time's about up here. We gotta move now, before we get caught up in the ruckus." He jogged over to the steel door to the warehouse in front of the theater and opened it, "Follow me and stay close."

"Do you know what's going on?"

"If it is what I think it is, it's definitely not something you wanna go poke your business in. The only way we can pass it is through the warehouse. If we run into any trouble, I'll take care of it. Let's go!"

There was a sense of urgency in the smaller boy's tone that left no room for further questioning.

However, if there was one thing Yuu knew for sure at this point, it was that shit had officially hit the fan.

* * *

Within the minutes of silence he had left before someone would inevitably barge down the door, Mikaela knew he had severely miscalculated the safety of this room.

No, not just the room. He had miscalculated for quite an amount of things, and he had dragged someone else into this complete disaster of a system.

He didn't know how he'd _ever_ attempt to explain himself for the utterly idiotic moves he had taken tonight, digging a larger hole for himself with every action. He couldn't use the excuse that "he wasn't thinking", because all he ever _did_ was _think_.

He meticulously planned, predicted how something would happen and made a backup plan just in case. He made careful moves, much like moving a piece on a chessboard, so he wouldn't get trapped in an inescapable deadlock.

But that's exactly what had happened and _he_ had been the one who was underprepared.

It hadn't been long before his enhanced hearing picked up the protesting creaks the wooden flooring in the hallway gave in response to the heavy footsteps coming in contact with it. They were coming steadily up the stairs leading to the apartment.

Leading straight to him.

If this entire night was any indication of his luck, he didn't think he was lucky enough for those footsteps to belong to Asuramaru. Or Yuuichiro for that matter.

It was a complete spur of the moment decision, when he turned his body slightly upward, towards the shower knobs, and reached his arm to turn them on. The rust on the knob gave way to the pressure, and the showerhead gave out a sharp sneeze before shooting out cold water.

Mikaela's back was against the same wall the showerhead was on, so the cold water was only drenching through his jeans. His legs served as a shield for the moment, preventing his stomach wounds from getting wet and likely washing the cologne off of them.

On the very likely chance these intruders were going to enter the apartment either way, hopefully the presumable sound of someone showering would deter them from trying to enter the bathroom.

If his suspicions were correct, they were likely only here to deploy blood bags for Yuuichiro.

It wasn't a completely abnormal thing. It was a move of courtesy that the Camarilla would gift a new reported fledgling their first supply of blood. Especially in the case where their sire was unknown or deceased, and therefore the Childe having little to no way of surviving on their own. So these intruders shouldn't be loitering around too much. Unless they were delivering direct orders from the Camarilla, he thought.

Which in this case wasn't a completely abnormal move either. With Mikaela out of commission for the time being, the higher-ups would probably want to ensure the newest fledgling's loyalty to them. He remembered having a similar experience, where he was given orders a while after having being sired in order to prove his worth in the eyes of the Camarilla.

But right now, the entirely wrong person was the poster child for an otherwise orderly faction, and _that_ person had wanted Mikaela dead. So he really couldn't be surprised if those lackeys searched the entire room, looking for traces of his presence.

Mikaela resisted the urge to dig his fangs into his lower lip. It was completely ridiculous that he was relying on the morals and ethics of vampires to prevent an enclosed confrontation. He was aware that it was his best-case scenario as far as getting out alive went.

Everything else involved getting captured, and because he had no intentions of going out gently, it was far more likely he'd be killed on the spot.

Fighting wasn't exactly the most desirable scenario, considering he was injured and critically dehydrated. But he wasn't completely incapable of combat either. He would just need to prepare himself for the worst.

There was the unmistakable sound of the door opening...

"Hey! _Jackass_! The fuck do you think you're doing?!" That voice…

It was the shout of young intimidation, naively announced behind a demand not-so-subtly disguised as a threat. The kind of bark that a small puppy would yelp at a much larger, wiser dog who only put up with it because dignifying it with a response was too bothersome. That is, unless the little mutt decided to _bite_ …

And Mikaela recognized that same yipping anywhere.

 _Oh, hell._

* * *

 **A/N: I had to cut more of Mika's parts in order to get this chapter out by the end of this month, but they will be in the next chapter. Basically I'm splitting what I had written for this chapter in two. Next chapter, the boys meet for sure!**


	4. forever stuck in our youth

**A/N: I've returned! Yeah after months of battling with procrastination and writer's block, I can finally, finally put out this chapter. I tried to make it longer this time since it took so long to get it out, and frankly it could use a bit more polish, but at 6450 words I had to finish it off at some point. I hope that this will please anyone whose still supporting this story!**

 **I can't make any promises on when the next chapter is gonna be up thanks to college, but hopefully there won't be as long as a wait as for this one.**

 **So here is the chapter otherwise known as Yuu's bullshit detector is stronger than Mika's throne of lies.**

* * *

Mikaela knew he would have to act soon...

There was some arguing that was enacted just in the other room: his fledgling's angry outbursts, Asuramaru's reassurance that they were only Camarilla lackeys on a delivery errand, and said lackeys growing irritation at having wasted time here. It left Mikaela anxiously waiting them out, hoping they'd finish their squabbling and go their separate ways for the evening so he could leave.

One of them asked about the still running shower in his bathroom.

Mikaela went rigid. Looks like he hadn't been quick enough after all.

 _Dammit!_

He had been hopeful this could end without a confrontation. Given the nature of his wounds, there was only so much fight he could dish out before he succame to them. He was left with no choice. In a few moments, they would tear through this apartment and see Mikaela lying weak and wounded. The least he could attempt was to go out fighting.

He strained, concentrating firmly on that door, struggling to use what remained of his power to mentally...reach out to whoever opened it next, so they would be unable to see him. Normally, he wouldn't dare attempt this while he was so deprived of blood, and especially on another _vampire_. In his desperation, he thought it was worth the risk. If it failed, he would just have to move more quickly this time…

But he found that it was getting progressively harder for him to focus as his vision started to blur. He blinked several times, _goddammit_ , why did his head hurt so badly?! No, this couldn't be happening, he couldn't let this get the best of him. He would be _damned_ if he let a little _deprivation_ drive the final _nail_ in his coffin…!

However, his wishes were firmly ignored by whatever higher power existed as his vision was slowly encapsulated by darkness and his consciousness followed shortly thereafter.

* * *

"Hey Jackass! The _fuck_ you think you're doing?!"

Yuu immediately called out the two men he saw fiddling with his door, neither of which he recognized as his landlady. He stalked towards them, eyes ablaze.

"Calm your tits, little guy," The first of the two drawls with a lazy smile. He was taller and appeared more physically built than Yuu was. The guy didn't even bother wearing a shirt underneath his dark trench coat, so he could clearly make out the goddamn _eight_ pack this guy was sporting. _Lucky bitch._

"The door was already unlocked when we got here, so we assumed you were inside. No need for your pms here, alright?"

"Oh, that's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard!" Yuu replied, "Care to tell me why the _fuck_ you're carrying that bag for then?!" He gestured to the duffel bag the man was carrying.

Under any other circumstance, Yuu might have thought twice before trying to pick a fight with a guy like this. Needless to say, he didn't really care. After the events of tonight, he was a dead man walking right now anyway.

"Well aren't _you_ a shrewd little bastard?" The guy answers back, mouth forming into a cruel smile, "Think you're hot shit now because the detective wasted his life and siring privilege on you?"

Yuu was taken aback, perplexed, "What the _hell_ -?"

"Don't be cruel, Gekkoin," The second of the two spoke up before Yuu could further push for an explanation, idly chastising his companion for his comments. He was much shorter and wiry looking, much like Asuramaru, but instead had styled bright lime green hair that didn't stray past his shoulders. "He _just_ lost his Sire, you know. I couldn't even begin to imagine a worse handicap than that."

"Forgive me if I'm not feeling too terribly empathetic..." 'Gekkoin' said, rolling his eyes, "Besides, I'd hardly call it a handicap considering he still gets three months worth of blood for being a orphaned fledgling and-"

"Wait, I get _what_ now?" Yuu asked, his ire complete forgotten for the moment as soon as they mentioned carrying blood with them.

"See what I mean? I give it a month before he gets his sorry ass killed."

"Ladies, ladies," Asuramaru intervened, "I think we can agree it's been a hectic night for all of us. So why don't we act our ages and start this over, yeah? Kid, this is Gekkoin and Kiseki-O. They're lackeys of the Camarilla, whom I'm sure remember _fondly_ from earlier. You guys said you're here to deliver blood, right?"

"Among other things," Kiseki-O motioned to the satchel slung over his own shoulder. "It's a gift from our dear Prince to you, a peace offering of sorts. I'm sure you'll find _some_ use out of it."

Yuu cringed, "Okay, I _really_ don't like the way you said that-"

"Get your mind outta the gutter, kid. The Princess' got a stick too far up his ass for that kind of tomfoolery, _relax_."

Asura's reassurances was a sigh of relief for Yuu, though short lived when Gekkoin started talking again.

"By the way, kid, do you live by yourself here?"

"What? Yeah, I do. Why?"

"Coulda sworn I heard the sound of water running in there."

"What? No it's not-"

He paused for only a moment so that he could confirm it, but there was no way he was mistaking it. Those goons were right, he could clearly hear the sound of water hitting the floor, a shower head must be running _somewhere_. The walls weren't exactly thick, but this sound definitely wasn't coming from any of the neighboring apartments.

It was coming from his bathroom. Someone was in his apartment.

 _That's fucking impossible! I_ locked _my door before I left earlier. Someone must have broken in somehow…_

"I'm gonna check…" He said pushing the door all the way open, carefully stepped over to his kitchen and grabbed a steak knife from its case.

Yuu knew for a fact that it couldn't have been Akane because she would have called to make sure he knew she was visiting him. And none of his former siblings even knew where he lived. If someone broke into his apartment to use his shower, at the very least it meant that they could be caught unaware.

He slowly tiptoed to the door to his bathroom, before gripping the metal doorknob. He sharply inhaled, it was now or never. He thrust open the door, knife poised in front of him for defense, fully expecting an ambush.

But nothing happens.

Instead, he hears the low steady breathing of a person. A person who didn't react when Yuu slammed the door open.

There was definitely someone, a guy, in his shower alright, but not nearly in the way Yuu expected. Not even close. In fact, this guy was lying on the floor with his back against the shower wall, fully clothed in a high collared, slim, navy green jacket that was unzipped and came below his belt line, with a white long sleeved shirt under it. He was also wearing black pants and boots, not exactly an ensemble one would take to the shower with.

Nevertheless, the shower head was running and drenching this man's entire front side and he apparently didn't care much about it, for when Yuu opened the curtains, the guy looked like he was asleep.

Or so he _hoped_.

But what made Yuu stop dead in his tracks and his blood run cold was not the fact that this guy broke somehow into his room, but the fact that he recognized that messy, drenched mass of hair.

That _blonde_ messy, drenched mass of hair.

The one who was shot in the parking garage with him….the one he had bled out trying to save…he was _alive_ and sitting in his _shower_ …!

He was positive if he could get this guy help if he hurried…!

Yuu's eyes darted to the living room area, and hesitated. Those guys outside his front door…

He thought back to that scene in the parking lot before he intervened. Whatever shit this boy was involved in…it got Yuu turned into a vampire. And kickstarted his apparent initiation into a secret world he honestly wanted no part in. Yuu didn't know what this guy had with the vampires, or if the two events were even related, but is wasn't hard for Yuu to figure that it probably wasn't ideal be bridal carrying him off to safety out in front of the others. They were only going to make things difficult if he tried.

He had to get them away from here so he could deal with this on his own.

Yuu stood up, reaching to shut off the water. The man below him still didn't respond.

 _This won't be long, I promise._

He spared a look to the barely conscious blonde before he made his way out the bathroom door, being careful to shut it behind him. He passed through the living room, and back out the front door where the men were waiting for him.

"You know, guys?" He said, giving an embarassed smile, "Looks like my boy Asura was right over here, I might have just forgotten to turn the damn thing off after all! I'll be more careful in the future, honest."

"Seriously?" Gekkoin huffed, looking rather aggrevated for the wasting of his time, "It was on the whole time you were gone, and you didn't even notice?"

"What can I say?" Yuu shrugged innocently, "I was in a hurry!"

"Why didn't your neighbors come turn it off for you?" Kiseki-O narrowed his eyes at him, eyebrow raised in a analytical manner, "These walls are _hardly_ soundproof, and you had to have been incapacitated at the theater hall for _hours_. That's quite a long time to be leaving your shower running without anyone saying something to your landlord, yes?"

"What are you, a _cop_?" Yuu chose to mask his growing nervousness at that statement with his trusty weapons, good 'ole sarcasm and faithful backchat, "Get off my _dick_ , Shirley Temple. It's not my job know _everything_ that goes on around here every time I piss off somewhere-"

"Are you boys satisfied now?" Asuramaru suddenly came to his defense, turning the interrogation back to the two lighter haired individuals. It was fortunate he did, too, Yuu was about to launch into some _particularly_ creative swearing if he was left to his own devices. "You did what you came here to do, right? No need to torture the poor kid. Besides, you'll recall our hearing is ten times better than the average human's."

Yuu swore he could have kissed him right there.

Kiseki-O went silent for a moment, expression having gone blank at Asuramaru's explanation. All at once, he snapped out of it, speaking once again. "You're so correct. What was I thinking?" He replied, "I hope you'll forgive me, young one. It's nothing I have against you, my suspicion is just firmly rooted in my nature."

 _That's a really shitty way of apologizing, but whatever._ "Yeah, uh, no really, it's fine. I'm just super defensive tonight, really we're cool."

"Great we're all friends now, whatever," Gekkoin stated, voice dripping in sarcasm, "Can we go now?" For once, Yuu agreed with him.

"We can," Kiseki-O took the satchel off of his shoulder, gripping it by its straps and handing it over to Asuramaru, "Since it seems like the two of you are already _well_ acquainted, I'll leave you both to look through these and do with them what you will."

"Uh huh." Asuramaru grabbed the satchel, the look on his face oddly pensive.

"And with that, we shall be taking our leave. Gekkoin?" At the calling of his name, the larger man tossed the duffel bag near the door, none too gentle about. Keseki-O then threw Asuramaru a cheeky wave before going, Gekkoin in tow.

Not a further word was spoken until their footsteps faded and a door slammed shut, which was when Asuramaru was the first to break the silence.

"The _hell_ were you mouthing off like that!? You realize how close Gekkoin came to crushing your skull like a coconut between his _thighs_ back there?"

Yuu wasn't listening. The moment those two were out of earshot, Yuu shot open his door, making his way back to the bathroom and to the blonde laying exactly where he left him.

He kneeled down and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey…!" He said, hoping that he could still hear him. "...Hey, shit dude, are you okay?"

The blonde slowly opened his eyes, blinking as he took in his surroundings like he had momentarily forgotten where he was. Glancing at Yuu sitting next to him, recognition lit up his features before it dissolved into relief.

"It's you," He said simply.

"Yeah, it's me," Yuu responded, feeling somewhat relieved himself that this guy was still kicking….but the weak way he acknowledged him immediately told Yuu he was less than fine. He reached a hand out, moving the other's arm from his abdomen.

And there it was. Very much still bleeding wounds on his stomach, heavily staining his shirt and jacket sleeves.

"You're still hurt...!" He exclaimed, "God, why didn't you go to a hospital?!"

"I didn't want to," The other replied so bluntly, Yuu nearly had to do a double-take, "I could only do so much, and as you can see I wasn't expecting you to be home early. Now if you can just leave me some privacy for just five minutes, I'd- what the hell are you doing?"

He'd heard more than enough. Without even thinking twice about it, Yuu grabbed for the blonde's arm and put it over his neck, using his other arm to support his side and standing him up. He stepped over his bed and moved the boy so he was sitting on the mattress.

Carrying the blonde over to the bed was easier than he had expected, the blonde was surprisingly light for how tall he was. Which only added to Yuu's concerns.

"You don't want to go to a hospital?" He repeated, trying not to get too frustrated. "Fine, you got your reasons. But we're going to do something about those wounds right now." He stepped back into the bathroom, positive he had some gauze around somewhere. He'd ask for disinfectant from a neighbor if he had to. But he wasn't gonna leave the guy to bleed out.

"Forget the gauze, kid," Asuramaru grabbed Yuu's attention, interrupting his search, "He's one of us, he needs blood."

 _One of us?_ Yuu stepped back through the doorway, turning his gaze back to the one in question on his bed.

If _that_ really was the case, he certainly didn't _look_ like a vampire.

What was a a vampire _supposed_ to look like then? Yuu didn't know how to answer that, he _literally_ just learned about this stuff today! He could buy that Kureto "Thunderbrows" Hiragi could be a bloodsucking monster, he certainly carried himself like one. He had the dark clothes and the dickish personality to match. But this guy on his bed looked more...fragile if anything. Like he wouldn't survive a slap to the face, much less the whole ordeal Yuu had gone through himself.

Not like a vampire.

 _Well he_ did _get shot too_ , Yuu rationalized. _Maybe he was sired by the same guy I was?_

"You got any more bloodbags on you?" He asked Asura.

"No, but _you_ do," The shorter boy gestured the duffel bag that had been delivered to him just minutes prior, laying near the entrance. Yuu rushed over and pulled it through the still opened doorway before closing it behind him and tossing the luggage onto his bed.

He pulled down the zipper so that the entirety of its contents were laid out before him and reached a hand in…Even though he knew exactly what his fingers would be coming in contact with, he was still mystified by the result it had over him.

The plastic of the pouch was cold in his hand, and upon pulling it out, he could swear he detected the faint smell of blood seeping from its tightly sealed opening...He licked his chapped lips at seeing that deep red color again. He wanted nothing more than to tear it open himself and thoroughly taste it on his tongue. This time, he'd _savor_ it a little more…

Until he glanced back over to the one sitting on his mattress, a pair of widened blue eyes were looking at the bloodbag Yuu had in his hand with what he could only describe as pure _want_.

Yuu broke and thought it best to hand him the bloodbag. The blonde had it completely emptied within a single breath, crushing the plastic in one hand, eyes flashed open with a fierce newfound light.

"Thank you," He said, at last.

"N-no problem, man," Yuu replied, warily, "...Are you okay now?

"I'll _live,_ if that's what you mean," the boy on his bed sighed.

So he really _was_ a vampire then.

The blonde turned to meet his face, those murky sapphire eyes narrowing slightly as if he was staring right into his soul. His gaze lingered for a moment, "You don't remember me, do you?" He passively inquired.

Yuu raised an eyebrow, wondering where that came from, "Am I supposed to recognize you from anywhere else?"

It was obvious that it wasn't the answer he was expecting to hear. The blonde's eyes narrowed in thought, his gaze slowly wavering from Yuu to Asuramaru, standing right beside him.

The latter of which merely shrugged and spoke to him directly for the first time that night, "You might as well tell him, Mika. You can't get _more_ screwed over him knowing."

"Mika?" Wait a minute-

That was the exact name that Asuramara had thrown about earlier, the one he said would "explain things to him later". Was _this_ what he meant?

 _And more importantly, he_ knows _the guy?! Think you could have_ eased _into that one a bit sooner?_

"Fine. I don't know what the Camarilla has said to you, but the truth of the matter is this…My name Mikaela Shindo, and _I_ am your sire."

* * *

Mikaela didn't know what to expect when he heard Yuuichiro come through the door.

He had only really found out where he lived by dumb luck really. After his embrace, Mikaela had patted him down and subsequently found out the identity of his Childe through his belongings. His identification was there in his wallet, and he rifled through his cell phone and found photos of his apartment complex -Mikaela would recognize that decrepit pawn shop anywhere-, and finally he found an envelope where the return address led him directly here, room number and all.

So needless to say, he was expecting some form of shock from the fact that he had broken in and had hunkered down in his shower. Though he only had plans of staying until the results of his embrace were confirmed or denied by Asuramaru.

But he didn't know that the Camarilla had done the exact same thing he had...they had tracked the apartment building down and were planning on getting in with or without Yuuichirou's knowledge and consent.

Mikaela could only consider himself lucky that his fledgling returned in time to stop them before they found him. He honestly hadn't expected him to go with the act.

Though Mikaela was prepared to do one thing in the event that he met this boy. He knew he had quite a bit to answer for.

"...So... _you're_ my sire? Wait a fucking minute...you're the voice I've been hearing in my head all night, aren't you?!"

"Indeed I am," He admitted, knowing what he was referring to.

"How?"

"You've already ingested my blood," Mikaela summarized, "When a vampire sires their Childe, they become bonded through the blood they shared. The fact that I can communicate with you telepathically is the most basic ability of this bond."

What he chose to omit from this fact; however, was the fact that the ability to communicate this way was only as strong as the emotional bond between Sire and Childe. Feelings of hate, love, alliance, or even friendship sufficed as strength of bond. If the Sire abandoned their Childe, the bond would gradually disappear depending on how intense their feelings for their maker were.

The fact that Mikaela managed to reach out to Yuuichirou was a rather _uncommon_ occurrence, as they hadn't met each other before this night. But the blonde chalked that up to having stronger mental capabilities than the average Kindred of his age.

"Okay, more vampire crap," The boy bemoaned under his breath, causing Mikaela to roll his eyes in annoyance. Honestly, how completely _daft_ did this one have to be?

He supposed the other couldn't be faulted since he didn't know about the Masquerade prior to tonight, but still. It felt like he was trying to explain calculus to an infant. It made him have _that_ much more appreciation for Krul, wondering how she ever had enough patience to allow him into her inner circle if he was even _half_ this bad.

"What about that other guy I saw at the theater? If you're my sire, then what was _he_?!"

" _What_ other guy?" Mikaela narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Ah, that's right!" Asuramaru spoke up, snapping his fingers in apparent realization, "Completely my fault there, kid, I should've said something earlier. You're talking about the person you saw getting beheaded with you, aren't you?"

" _Yes_ ," Yuuichirou exclaimed in frustration, causing Mikaela to give an accusing glance towards his indigo haired predecessor. As if asking, _Why am I only_ now _hearing of this?_

"Don't you give me that judgy look, Mika. I took care of it like I said I would."

"Took care of _what_?"

"Something I'll let your _sire_ tell you right now," Asuramaru turned back to Mikaela with a smirk and a mischievous, vindictive glint in his eyes.

"How typical," Mikaela muttered under his breath. It was almost hard to believe that him and Krul were related sometimes. "Alright...I suppose that the simplest way I can explain this is that all Kindred have their own... _quirks_ , so to speak. Some of them have stronger mental capabilities, able to Influence humans to do their bidding. Others can change their shape into animals, some are able to recall information more quickly than in their human lives. It varies really from person to person, depending on their personalities and the circumstances of their embracing." Mikaela gave him a pointed look, "Then there are kindred like Asuramaru who can use use the blood running through their veins and turn it into raw _power_. Blood magic."

"Okay," Yuuichiro said, seeming to take that information suprisingly well, "Blood magic. So what does that entail?"

"Basically I took a vial of our beloved Mika's blood here, and with that I was able to create a carbon clone in his place. _That_ was the person you saw getting beheaded tonight."

"Oh yeah, I see, makes perfect sense-WHAT."

He was laughing, "Pretty neat, right? Couldn't tell the difference, could ya? I'm sure there wouldn't have been a dry eye in the house if people actually _liked_ him!" Mikaela sighed at the jab and suddenly Asuramaru grew serious, his smile having all but disappeared, "I apologize for not saying something earlier, but that place was swarming with the Camarilla. And let's just say if any of them knew what I was saying to you now, they'd have more than just your sire's blood on their hands."

"It's that serious, huh?" Yuuichiro replied to Asura, but was looking in Mikaela's direction with an unreadable expression.

Despite everything, Mikaela knew that his words rang heavy with truth. If it hadn't been for his quick thinking, he's positive both he and his newly sired fledgling would not have survived the night.

"Yeah it's pretty bad," Asura confirmed, "But, hey. That's the Masquerade for ya." He turned to speak to Mikaela then, "So as for _you_ , I know my sister's gonna hear about this eventually. So whatever you gotta do now, I suggest you do it and let me know your plans later."

The blonde raised an eyebrow, "You're not staying?"

"As much as I'd love to see you bid your lover's goodbyes, I gotta take care of something myself. Anarch related, you know the drill."

"Hmm."

"Anyway, it was really nice meeting ya kid," He declared to Yuuichirou, who then said his goodbyes and thanks to the other in return.

Asura took his leave and now it was only the two of them that remained.

"So as you can see, there was nothing to worry about," Mikaela remarked about the faux execution Yuuichirou had witnessed in the theater, "Well, at least nothing concerning _myself_."

Yuuichiro let out a sigh of relief, "Thank god."

Mikaela raised an eyebrow curiously. This boy had quite the habit of worrying for the fates of strangers, didn't he? First he runs headfirst into a situation that was really none of his business to save someone who could have survived it without his help. Then he's angry about the "death" of a scapegoat that wasn't even his fault?

Well, in all fairness, the second scenario wouldn't sit well with him either. Though not necessarily for the same reasons. He was thankful that no one had been killed tonight, but he wasn't exactly sure he would be as particularly as devastated had it actually happened. Which was the problem. Yuuichirou hadn't known just how serious this actually was, what kind of trouble he invited for himself for defending someone like Mikaela. A _vampire_.

How strange. Perhaps self-preservation isn't at the top of his priorities?

"So what happens to you now?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well, if everyone else thinks you're dead, how's it going to look with you walking out and about like nothing happened?"

"That's precisely why I don't intend to stay," His wounds were healed thanks to the blood bags so there was no reason for him to stay here any longer. His next plans should be towards going into hiding for the foreseeable future, perhaps leaving the country altogether. "Whatever happens from here on out, I ensure I will not be subjecting you to further danger by being here."

"Because it's my fault they wanted you dead to begin with?"

"Of course not," The answer was truthful and simple enough. Mikaela had been a member of the Camarilla for a while. Despite the fact that he technically didn't have a title of nobility, he was treated as such thanks to Krul's influence and his value as an analyst. He had his worth but he certainly wasn't the type to lick the boot of every noble who smiled in his direction.

Judging from the events of the evening, it was entirely plausible that his disposal had been entirely premeditated, long before the circumstances of his recent Embrace. Said Embrace being the best and easiest way to write him off without anyone questioning the Hiragi's decision.

And he could take a wild guess on _who_ was directly responsible for his little "accident" tonight...

"Then why do they want you dead?" Yuuichiro's voice interrupted his train of thought.

Mikaela having about reached his limit for patience with this interrogation, condescended with, "Why do _you_ ask so many questions?"

 _That_ had the desired effect of the young vampire widening his eyes in response, clearly taken by surprise at having the tables so easily turned on him.

Mikaela had taken responsibility for siring his fledgling by giving him the basis of surviving this new life, instead of leaving him constantly questioning why he was turned. He had been entirely honest, had told the story for what it was, and he should leave it at that. If this had been any other night under better circumstances, perhaps he'd be more inclined to humor the boy. What's done was done, there was nothing more he could do here.

"I've said more than enough to satisfy you tonight," He took advantage of the brief silence to start taking his leave, "I have faith that you'll be able handle things on your own. But right now I absolutely must be going."

He attempted to push himself off of the bed but felt a pair of hands grip his arms, keeping him in place. All too quickly, that look of stupefaction disappeared, replaced with a scrutinizing look.

"I don't think you really buy that."

"Oh?"

"You had plenty of opportunities to walk away tonight. You could have left me for dead, and it would have saved you some trouble. But you didn't. And I don't think you would have back _here_ if you weren't a little concerned-"

"That's not it," He insisted, voice raising on a slight note of indignation, "I saved your life because I didn't want to be responsible for an innocent _human's_ death. I came back because I needed a place to hide and _this-_ -" He gestured toward the entirety of the apartment in a clockwise motion, "-incidentally happened to be the most convenient option for me in the moment. Obviously it was a lapse in judgement."

He jumped the gun to defend himself rather quickly, like a petulant child. But it was a necessary action. Mikaela didn't really like how closely Yuuichiro had figured out his error. It was true, technically he could have walked away from the entire endeavor at any point this evening and none would be the wiser.

However, he didn't appreciate the thought of this _boy_ sacrificing something so irreplaceable for his benefit. Yuuichirou knew nothing, had no idea of how much damage Mikaela had cause tonight. This little act of chivalry was not something he could easily accept. He had not been deserving of it, nor had he wanted it. Not at the expense of someone else.

Mikaela knew he could never repay this kind of debt now. Because now he had taken this boy's humanity from him as well. He was no savior by any means. If Yuuichiro didn't quite understand that, that was his mistake.

"... _I_ don't buy that."

 _How unfortunate._ "I have told you nothing but the whole truth this whole time, I don't care if you believe me or not."

"Hiding out in my apartment is not a 'lapse in judgement'. It's a lapse in literally all five of your senses."

 _Now he's trying to pry sympathy from me. It won't work._

"What exactly are you hoping to get from me? If its an apology you want, I'll gladly give it. But if it's something else ...you'll have to be more _direct_." Mikaela calmly prodded, somewhat demandingly. His added emphasis serving to make sure this boy would think carefully before he said something he'd surely regret.

Yuuichiro did the smart move, taking a few moments to compose himself. But he surprised his sire in the end by looking back at him with a set of fiery determination in his eyes, easily competing with Mikaela's cold indifference.

"I'm asking you to stay."

Mikaela kept his expression purposefully neutral, slowly blinking once to allow his silence to speak for itself. Clearly, there was no way this could a serious plea for help. The time it would take for him to fully devote his efforts into training a fledgling was not something he could currently give. A part of him hoped that Yuuichiro would realize that and retract his words. Though when Mikaela opened his eyes to look back at him, the boy's eyes remained unyieldingly fiery.

With a frown deepening on his face and frustration settling in the uncomfortably deep pit of his stomach, he pressed a bit further, "You _have_ to be joking."

"Did I stutter?"

"Haven't you heard a word of what I've said? Or is there so much static rattling around in that brain that blocks out what you don't want to hear?"

"Just listen, please. I get it, I know I'm asking a lot from you. But all I want is to just make sense of how this thing works, and you know it better than anyone, right?"

The genuine sincerity of his tone and bright intensity of his eyes almost made Mikaela falter, reminding him of a little boy so very naive but ready and willing to sell his soul to the devil for the promise of getting to see another day...of course his heart was not made of stone, he had once been in his fledgling's shoes...

 _But the foolish little urchin will lose something more precious than his soul, won't he...?_

Mikaela was nothing if not impenetrably stubborn. His mind was not going to be so easily changed based off righteousness alone.

"Do you know how many vampires there are in this city? Ones that are older and stronger than me, that can just as easily relay this information to you? You have no need for me to do it." While Mikaela was certainly more stable than _certain_ vampires, he could name others that were far more suited for this than him.

"...Yeah, no I get it, I get it. Just, see the thing is, I _really_ don't want to."

Mikaela gawked, "You can't be serious!"

"What? That sounds like a _lot_ of people to go through for just a few vampire lessons! And besides! Do you really think I'm going to have time to do that when Resting Bitchface McGee wants me to run his freaking errands?"

"Resting Bitchface McGee?" Mikaela repeated questioningly, giving him a deadpan stare.

"You know! Thunderbrows!" He answered as if that explained everything.

" _Thunderbrows_?"

"The prince guy!" Yuuichiro declared the one thing that resonated with his knowledge of who he was referring to.

Mikaela blinked at that, "You spoke with Kureto directly?"

"Yeah…why? What's it to you?"

"That is…it's just a bit surprising is all," Mikaela commented. So the Hiragi was the one overseeing the punishment? For a lowly matter such as an illegal Embrace, it was usually something the Camarilla would oversee, though almost always finding the sire guilty and executing both them and their fledgling within the hour. In all honesty, it really only required one or two nobles to be judge, jury, and executioner.

But the decision to have Yuuichiro's case be made into a public spectacle was such a...specifically odd one, to say the least. Like he almost _wanted_ it to be seen, not just as an example for rule-breaking. As if he was ensuring that everyone had burned the faces of the accused in their memory.

If the double was truly disposed of in front of that many people, and if the copy was as nearly perfect as Asura claimed...this meant that anyone who saw him _now_ would immediately start asking questions.

Everything just kept getting _worse_ , didn't it?

Mikaela took a minute to ponder on this. While leaving was certainly the most preferable option for him, he had to consider how likely that would be. He had to time his departure perfectly enough to be able to escape undetected. Leaving the city too soon, especially after allegedly receiving a guilty verdict in an Embracing case, was potentially dangerous.

Until that danger was alleviated -as much as he despised the idea- he might end up having to stay a bit longer than he intended.

 _But, dammit, how am I going to do that without being killed in the process?_ He wondered. The longer he was in this city, the longer he was in danger of being found out. Which meant he'd need to be hiding. That was all well and good, but the issue of where he could do so was more problematic.

Going back to his own apartment complex was obviously out of the question now. He had no doubt that it was in the process of being searched and ransacked for the decades old information he'd collected during his stay in Los Angeles. Perhaps prior if the Hiragi had anything to say about it.

 _Though, I suppose I've done better under worse circumstances_ , He thought. If Mikaela was fortunate they wouldn't be finding _much._ He never kept current or important files in his home, or even on a computer for very long.

But that left the question, what does he do _now_?

He heard a resigned exhale come from his fledgling, causing him to look up.

"If you don't want to tell me what your story is, that's fine. I can live not knowing. But as my sire, at least I think I can trust your word a bit more than everyone else…"

That's _it_? All he was looking for was someone he could trust?

"How can you be so sure that I'm this one person you can trust in anyway?" Mikaela asked, "You have nothing to base that off of, you know nothing of me apart from my name and that my blood has sired you." He didn't know what kind of excuse the boy would be pulling out of his pocket, but a part of him wanted to hear why he was so intent on making him stay...

"You're right," Yuu replied, the first honest thing he's heard all evening, "I don't know anything about you. But the thing is you kinda caught me in an awkward situation tonight…"

"How so?"

His fledgling averted his gaze, rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture, "Before I stepped in front of those guys that were beating on you, I was actually debating whether or not I should...take a flying leap off of the pier. _And_ on something my mom said to me once...that if I was ever in doubt I should look for one sign from the universe -even if it's microscopically small- that I should be living another day and take it. But then I saw _you_." He gave a shy smile as if to deviate the awkward feeling from his words, "And yeah, it pretty much went exactly how I expected...my ass getting handed to me."

It sounded much less dire than the truth that he was actually _killed_ trying to intervene. Though Mikaela refrained from correcting him on the matter.

"But it was better than doing nothing. I didn't want to be some bystander anyway...so I really didn't care if they killed me right there." Those green eyes flickered back towards him, there was a teasing glint to them now, "And then _you_ go ahead and rob me of my very brave death."

"I can toss you out the window right now if you'd like to try again," Mikaela offered, albeit half jokingly.

"No, but what I'm saying is this: You know a lot about being a vampire, and you know a lot about the 'vampire laws' around here," He used air quotations for those words, "If you can teach me at the basics of what you know about that...then I'll help you get out of the city."

Mikaela snorted at that, but Yuuichiro didn't allow him to argue, "I'm serious. I don't look like much, I get it. But I do know some stuff that I think will help you stay under radar. It'll be bad news if anyone thinks you're alive right?" The mirth on Mikaela's face slipped, "Just trust me long enough for me to come up with something for you and in the meantime, you can help me out. What do you think?"

"I _think_ that this is the worst idea I think I've ever heard," Mikaela sardonically stated, "It sounds like something a child would come up with." This was an absolutely terrible plan and he made no hesitation in pointing it out.

But...did he really have any other option at the moment?

Yuuichiro looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"However, I can concede that you did raise some valid points, and it is only out of sheer morbid curiosity that I would entertain them."

"Soooo...?" His fledgling said with a stupid, self assured grin that Mikaela immediately wanted to slap off of his face, "You're saying you'll…?" He purposely left his words up in the air, expecting his sire to finish that thought for him.

The blonde heavily sighed, "I'm saying that I'll stay in town. But only for a few days."

"Seriously?! That's awesome!

"Don't get too excited, I'm only complying to this madness under a few conditions that obviously need to be hammered in that thick skull of yours."

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're a giant bummer?"

"If it bothers you that much, you're always welcome to retract our deal anytime you like. Until then, this is your burden to bear."

Yuuichiro's response was a childish grumble, and crossing his arms. It only partly satisfied his sire. The other part was wondering just what kind of fresh _hell_ he just stepped into...

* * *

 **A/N: And that kids, is how Mika officially starts living with our beloved Yuu-chan! Now that all the exposition-y stuff is (mostly) out of the way, we can finally start getting into the good stuff. I.e. familiar faces showing up, and Mika and Yuu going on adventures together!**

 **So I touched upon it very briefly in Mika's POV, but I'm debating whether to add clan types here. In Vampire: The Masquerade, there were seven types of vampires that all had different powers (clans, not to be confused with factions). For example, Asuramaru has blood magic here but in VtMB he would be called a Tremere, which are descended from mages. Another clan type example is the Nosferatu, all of which are basically so deformed that they're literally walking Masquerade violations and therefore live in the sewers and primarily feed on rats.**

 **I may or may not add more information about clan types and whatnot in the story, but apart of me fears it might be too much information and wouldn't really add anything to the story. At the very least, Mika's explanation will be all that's needed and I might briefly touch on other clan powers without directly mentioning them in upcoming chapters.**

 **Please let me know what you guys think about this, and the chapter as a whole! I won't say much more about what's to come, but do expect the beginnings of the Shinoa Squad to start showing up!**

 **P.S. Around the time this chapter comes out, very small details from the first and second chapter will be altered slightly so that continuity-wise, things will make sense from here on out. For example who Yuu allegedly saw with him and Kureto's companion.**


End file.
